Mail-bag



(No Model.)

W. HAW N.

MAIL BAG,

No. 353,407. Patentd Nov. 3 0, 1886.-

withi inw/ I S14-u anto z 77 ZZWWEW/v,

witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HAWN, OF KNOXVILLE, TENN MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,407, dated November: 30l 1886,

Application tiled April 29, 1886. Serial No. 200,497.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HAWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of the open end of a mail-bag, showing my invention applied thereto; and Fig. 2, a detail view 'showing the mouth of the bag closed and in section and the bolts in relative position with the cam-actuating device preparatory to being operated upon thereby.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective means for securely locking closed t-he mouth or open end of mailbags; and it consists in two spring-bolts and a cam-actuating device to force the bolts in engagement with their respective keepers, substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A repre sents amail-bag of any desirable form and construction, but preferably of that class re-enforced at its mouth or open end by sectionsB C, the latter having inwardlyextending iianges a, which cover thermouth of the bag when closed, such construction of bag being fully covered in my-patent of June 13, 1882, No. 259,309.

To the inner sides of thebag A are suitably attached casings D, in which are contained and work bolts E F, having coiled around their shanks spiral springs b of the required strength to force the bolts back out of engagement with the keepers G when released by the cam-actuating device, one end of the spring bearing against the plate c of the casing D, and the opposite end of the spring bearing against the head d on the bolt,l as shown in Fig. 2.

A rubber or other suitable spring may be substituted for the spiral spring shown, and any form of casing and bolt may be employed,

(No model.) l

so long as a spring-bolt is provided-that is to say, a'bolt that is automatically released from engagement with its keeper by the action of a spring.

The cam-actuating device consists of two circular disks, H I, operating, respectively, the bolts E F by their periphery coming in contact with the inner ends thereof.

To the disks H I is eccentrically connected the shank e of a staple, K,which has its bearing in one of the re-enforce sections C, and is prevented from turning completely around upon its axis by a stop-plate, f, upon the end of the shank, and a check-pin, g, with which the plate comes in contact, the latter projecting from the outer side of the :re-enforce section.

Any preferred andwell-known means may be employed for preventing the shank of the staple from turning ormakinga complete revolution -upon its axis without affecting the principle and purpose of the invention, the main feature thereof being in the cam-actuating device for operating the spring-bolts.

In closing and locking the bag the re-enforce sections B C are brought together, as shown in Fig. 2, and by turning the staple K over on line with the perforated plate L, so that the openings in both staple and plate will register, the cam-disks H I operate against the bolts E F, respectively, which force them outward in engagement with the keepers G, thus securelylocking the mouth of the bag closed, the staple K and plate L receiving the link of the padlock to fasten them4 together. Vhen the staple K is turned back in position as shown in Fig. 2, the pressure of the camdisks H I is released from the bolts, and the springs b force them back out of engagement with the keepers, allowing the staple to be relation to each other, substantali y as shown In testimony that I claim the above I have and described. hereunto subscribed my name in the presence lo 2. In a fastening for mail-bags, the c'ombiof two Witnesses.

nation, with sp1i11gboits,of a cam-actuating device Consistingl of two disks eocentrioztlly WILLIAM HAVVN' Connected to the shank of a staple and simnl- TWitnesses:

t-aneously operating on the bolts,substa.nta1ly O. H. I?. HOGAN,

as and for the purpose described. JOHN W. VARD. 

